[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 118 (Tuesday, September 2, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10986-S10987]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HOSPITAL MORTGAGE INSURANCE ACT OF 2003

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Banking 
Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 659 and that 
the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 659) to amend section 242 of the National 
     Housing Act regarding the requirements for mortgage insurance 
     under such Act for hospitals.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
substitute that is at the desk be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, 
be read the third time and passed; that the motion to reconsider be 
laid upon the table; and that any statements relating to the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 1546) was agreed to, as follows:

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Hospital Mortgage Insurance 
     Act of 2003''.

     SEC. 2. STANDARDS FOR DETERMINING NEED AND FEASIBILITY FOR 
                   HOSPITALS.

       (a) In General.--Paragraph (4) of section 242(d) of the 
     National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1715z-7) is amended to read 
     as follows:
       ``(4)(A) The Secretary shall require satisfactory evidence 
     that the hospital will be located in a State or political 
     subdivision of a State with reasonable minimum standards of 
     licensure and methods of operation for hospitals and 
     satisfactory assurance that such standards will be applied 
     and enforced with respect to the hospital.
       ``(B) The Secretary shall establish the means for 
     determining need and feasibility for the hospital, if the 
     State does not have an official procedure for determining 
     need for hospitals. If the State has an official procedure 
     for determining need for hospitals, the Secretary shall 
     require that such procedure be followed before the 
     application for insurance is submitted, and the application 
     shall document that need has also been established under that 
     procedure.''.
       (b) Effective Date.--
       (1) In general.--The amendment made by this subsection (a) 
     shall take effect and apply as of the date of the enactment 
     of this Act.
       (2) Effect of regulatory authority.--Any authority of the 
     Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to issue 
     regulations to carry out the amendment made by subsection (a) 
     may not be construed to affect the effectiveness or 
     applicability of such

[[Page S10987]]

     amendment under paragraph (1) of this subsection.

     SEC. 3. EXEMPTION FOR CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITALS.

       (a) In General.--Section 242 of the National Housing Act 
     (12 U.S.C.1715z-7) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (b)(1)(B), by inserting ``, unless the 
     facility is a critical access hospital (as that term is 
     defined in section 1861(mm)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 
     U.S.C. 1395x(mm)(1)))'' after ``tuberculosis''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(i) Termination of Exemption for Critical Access 
     Hospitals.--
       ``(1) In general.--The exemption for critical access 
     hospitals under subsection (b)(1)(B) shall have no effect 
     after July 31, 2006.
       ``(2) Report to Congress.--Not later than 3 years after 
     July 31, 2003, the Secretary shall submit a report to 
     Congress detailing the effects of the exemption of critical 
     access hospitals from the provisions of subsection (b)(1)(B) 
     on--
       ``(A) the provision of mortgage insurance to hospitals 
     under this section; and
       ``(B) the General Insurance Fund established under section 
     519.''.

     SEC. 4. STUDY OF BARRIERS TO RECEIPT OF INSURED MORTGAGES BY 
                   FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban 
     Development shall conduct a study on the barriers to the 
     receipt of mortgage insurance by Federally qualified health 
     centers (as defined in section 1905(l)(2)(B) of the Social 
     Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d(l)(2)(B))) under section 1101 
     of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1749aaa), or other 
     programs under that Act.
       (b) Report.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
     Development shall submit a report regarding any appropriate 
     legislative and regulatory changes needed to enable Federally 
     qualified health centers to access mortgage insurance under 
     section 1101 of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1749aaa), 
     or other programs under that Act to--
       (1) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of 
     the Senate; and
       (2) the Committee on Financial Services of the House of 
     Representatives.

  The bill (H.R. 659), as amended, was read the third time and passed.

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